The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-11
The Standard of Business Morality.

There has been an epidemic of defalca-
tons, breaches of trust and crooked bust
ness transactions during the last few months
in nearly all parts of the country, and this
city has not escaped 1t. Wealthy and
prominent business men engaged in corner
ing the wheat market, or in floating great
railroad schemes, have not hesitated to use
the power with which they were clothed to
rob the banks with which they were con-
nected, or to issue fraudulent railway shares.
Officials holding positions of trust have re
sorted to forgery to get money to carry on
speculations or to minister to their pleas
ures. Partners have violated their obliga-
tons to their firms and clerks have robbed
their employers of small sums, at different
times, until their stealings amounted to so
much that they could no longer be con-
cealed, or they have taken thousands of dol
lars in lump and fled.
The standard of morality in the business
world appears to be lower than ever before,
and is reasonable cause for alarm among
thinking men. 1t is about impossible to
pick up newspaper without finding an ac-
count of a dishonest transaction of some
sort. Unless something is done to bring
about more healthy condition of affairs,
there will be such a lack of confidence that
it will be difficult TO carry on business with
the ease and facility that are necessary to
handle its increasing volume. Men having
large interests at stake will hesitate to trust
their employees and will be afraid to invest
in companies and institutions which they
IN hi Inv
who gamble in stocks or grain, or whose en-
ployes are known to lead fast lives.
This low standard of business morality is
largely due to two things-a desire to get
rich quickly, and to fast living Men who
have good business, and an income suffi-
Gent to enable them to live comfortably,
want to be millionaires, and make a show
like their wealthy neighbors. They there
fore take risks which frequently turn out
badly, and involve them in financial trou-
bles The temptation then comes to do
dishonest act, with the hope of recovering
what they have lost. One false step leads
to another, and discovery and ruin follow.
Young men just beginning business
career too often live beyond their means.
Finding their salaries too small to meet their
increasing expenses - expenses that arise
from fast living-they resort to dishonest
methods to fill their purses. They see older
men who hold responsible positions spending
money in ways that are neither creditable
nor reputable, and they quiet their con-
sciences with the thought that they are
doing about as the world does. OF course
they come to grief.
Two things must be done. An effort must
be made to raise the standard of morality,
and the laws against all kinds of dishonesty
must be enforced. The thoroughly moral
men of every community must cease to
countenance everything that is not strictly
honest and legitimate in business They
must refuse to have anything to do with a
man who is dishonest, even though he has
never been charged with crime. The laws
must be enforced against all alike. The
bank president or bank director who goes
wrong ought not to be shown more consid-
Grafton than the boy who robs his employ
-, An